Barack Obama and Mitt Romney trade jokes at charity dinner - The Guardian

Barack Obama said he had been well-rested for the last TV debate because of the 'nice long nap I had at the first debate'. Photograph: Charles Dharapak/AP

Locked in a tense race with time running out, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney took time off to exchange light-hearted jabs and make fun of each other in a joint appearance at a high-profile charity dinner.

Two days after a brutal debate in which they traded verbal blows and stalked each other on stage, Obama and Romney greeted each other warmly, dressed formally in white tie and tails.

But the combativeness of the campaign trail was ever-present as they gave back-to-back speeches at the annual Al Smith memorial dinner.

Romney, speaking first, said Obama must have had some thoughts as he looked out at the crowd of wealthy people at the dinner. "You have to wonder what he's thinking: so little time, so much to redistribute," he said.

Obama, in turn, made fun of Romney's vast wealth. "Earlier I went shopping at some stores in midtown. I understand Governor Romney went shopping for some stores in midtown."

The Al Smith dinner is a glittering affair at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel where New York's high society dined on poached lobster and rack of lamb and contributed $5m (£3m) for various children's charities.

Obama and Romney sat separated only by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York who spoke at both the Republican and Democratic conventions in late August and early September.

Obama made light of his much-criticised performance during his first debate with Romney. He said at the second debate, where he was judged the winner, he had been well-rested because of the "nice long nap I had at the first debate".

Romney was similarly self-deprecating, noting the way he prepared for the debate was to "refrain from alcohol for 65 years". As a practising Mormon, the former Massachusetts governor is teetotal.

Obama, who frequently credits himself with ordering the mission that led to the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011, noted that the last debate is about foreign policy. "Spoiler alert: we got Bin Laden!" he said.

Romney taunted Obama on the high jobless rate, saying its recent small decline meant only one thing: "You're better off now than you were four weeks ago."

Obama said he and Romney have some things in common, like their unusual middle names. Romney's is Mitt (Willard is his first name). "I wish I could use my middle name," said Obama, whose middle name is Hussein.

Obama got in a jab at the Republicans' use of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood at the Republican convention. Eastwood was panned for talking to an empty chair on stage as if Obama was sitting in it. "Please take your seats," Obama told the crowd, "or else Clint Eastwood will yell at them."

The tone of the evening was set with introductory remarks by Al Smith IV, who could not resist teasing Romney for saying at the debate that he sorted through "binders full of women" in trying to put together a diverse cabinet as governor of Massachusetts.

"I want to say a special welcome to all of the accomplished women here tonight. It's good to see you made it out of those binders," Smith said to laughter.

The dinner was first held in 1945 in tribute to Smith, a former Democratic New York governor who lost the 1928 presidential election to Republican Herbert Hoover in a landslide.

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